Beware His Power…The Green Lantern! – Vinny’s Comic Pick
Make no mistake, Grant Morrison is back in epic form in The Green Lantern #1
Honestly, it’s kind of weird that I haven’t written much about Grant Morrison on the site. This is in large part because in the last few years Morrison has rarely written a monthly book and it simply cut down on the opportunity for him to appear in the picks. Well, he’s back in the DCU in remarkable fashion with The Green Lantern and I thought it appropriate to highlight the legendary writer’s return to a main DC title.
Morrison’s arrival on the book is interesting in itself and, in a recent interview for DC Daily, he pointed out that he wasn’t exactly game for the project when first asked. Morrison, in the most Grant Morrison move possible, began to pitch his angle on the character after turning the book down and soon agreed to take the book on. Morrison points out that even as a child, he was uncomfortable with the character’s nature. The Green Lantern has never been the sort of almighty figure that Superman and Batman were in days past, and Hal’s scrappy nature intimidated the soon to be writer. Now, this intimidation turned into fascination. Morrison sees Hal as someone whom he has little in common with, unlike the artist Kyle Rayner who he so successfully innovated in JLA. Hal returns to form as a true man without fear in this book, and Morrison strips away the epics that have dominated the book since Geoff Johns’ relaunch in 2005. This is not to say the tale isn’t on a galactic scale, but the Corps focused stories that have become the norm over the last decade are no more. This is called The Green Lantern for a reason.
There are Green Lanterns, and then there is Hal Jordan.

I heard he’s Robbie Williams wizard.
Liam Sharp hammers this point home with the kind of art that could become the standard image of Hal for years to come. Sharp has been doing nothing but terrific stuff for DC since Rebirth, and I hope that this shines a spotlight on his recent The Brave and The Bold mini as well. Sharp crafts complex and cinematic panels, even when the action is light. While he exhibited this ability in the pages of Wonder Woman, it is brought to a whole new level here. All of the aliens are intriguing and even The Guardians feel fresh. On top of this, Steve Oliff’s colors and the terrific stock being used for the book really bring a depth to images. I love the new paper that DC is using and hope it is line wide sooner than later.
The Green Lantern is a big win and return to superhero dominance for Morrison and crew. Check it out.